Department for Transport

Transport: EU Grants and Loans

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money the EU provided, in the most recent year for which figures are available, for research, capital expenditure and revenue support for (1) the bus and coach industry, (2) railway passenger and freight-services, (3) the air industry, including runways, aircraft or equipment, (4) the shipping and ports industry, and (5) road schemes and the development of vehicle technology.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The EU budget has a number of programmes aimed at supporting the development of transport which can be at a regional, national or trans-national level.Given the complexity of the different mechanisms for delivering such funding the UK government does not maintain a central record of the total amount of money that the EU provides for research, capital expenditure and revenue support for transport.The main source of funding for transport infrastructure comes from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) which promotes the development of the different Trans- European Networks for Transport, Energy and Communications. Transport is the major element of the CEF budget with nearly €1.5 billion in commitments allocated to fund EU transport projects in 2016. The EU transport funding priorities are defined in the TEN-T regulation (EU 2013/1315) and focus on improving cross-border connections and developing sustainable and efficient transport infrastructure. Funding is awarded to projects through a competitive bidding process with projects having to meet specific criteria and demonstrate high EU added value. The attached tables have details of projects involving UK participation that have been awarded funding.



HL6322 - Tables 1 and 2
(Word Document, 16.28 KB)

Home Office

Terrorism Act 2000

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take, if any, in response to the Court of Appeal's declaration, in relation to the case of David Miranda and the safeguarding of journalistic material, that Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 is incompatible with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Lord Bates: The Court of Appeal’s judgment in the Miranda litigation dealt with Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 as in force at the time of David Miranda’s examination, which took place in August 2013. In March 2015, the Home Office updated the Code of Practice for Schedule 7 Examining and Review Officers to direct that examining officers may not examine material they reasonably believe to be journalistic using Schedule 7. Given this amendment, the government considers that Schedule 7 as currently in force is compatible with Article 10 of the Convention.

Deportation: EEA Nationals

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many EEA nationals have been administratively removed from the UK for not exercising their treaty rights in each calendar year since 2009.

Lord Bates: On 1 January 2014, The Home Office introduced a new power to remove EEA nationals for abuse of free movement rights.The table below shows data for removals and for voluntary departures of EEA nationals from 2009 to 2015 by type.There is no specific breakdown for non-exercise of Treaty Rights.Removals and voluntary departures for EEA nationals by type 20092010201120122013*20142015Total EEA** enforced removals7699681,2991,8092,3533,1343,767Total EEA non-asylum refused entry at port and subsequently departed4404785446419031,4111,781Total EEA voluntary departures24947478280465716*Croatia acceded to the EU on 1 July 2013. No data on Croatian nationals has been captured prior to Q3 2013.

Slavery: EEA Nationals

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to prevent homelessness among victims of modern slavery who are EEA nationals with positive Conclusive Grounds National Referral Mechanism decisions on their departure from the government-funded victim care contract.

Lord Bates: During the recovery and reflection period, support providers work with the victim of modern slavery to produce a detailed and tailored ‘move on plan’. Following a positive Conclusion Grounds decision, victims are entitled to a further 14 days of support, at which time the ‘move on plan’ assists the victim in their transition from the specialist service. The victim either returns to their home country or if they wish to stay and are eligible to do so move on to access mainstream support services in the UK. In addition, the Home Office considers extension requests for victims who need longer than 14 days to make the transition from the specialist service on a case-by-case basis.On leaving the Government-funded service that is provided under the victim care contract, victims who are EEA nationals may be able to exercise Treaty rights and remain lawfully in the UK on that basis but those who are not exercising such rights are encouraged to return home unless they are entitled to remain on other grounds. The Home Office also considers whether to grant Discretionary Leave to victims who are unable to exercise free movement rights where there are particularly compelling circumstances, they need to stay in the UK to pursue a compensation claim or to assist with police inquiries/investigations.

Free Movement of People

Lord Hamilton of Epsom: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether EU citizens can enter the UK for the purposes of seeking employment.

Lord Bates: All European Union citizens may enter the UK on production of a valid passport or identity card and have an initial right to reside for three months. Those who wish to stay longer can do so as a jobseeker for a further three months, providing they have a genuine prospect of work. After that period, they must be exercising a Treaty right as a worker, a student, or a self-employed or self-sufficient person, or be liable for removal.The new EU settlement negotiated by the Prime Minster also confirms that we do not have to pay Universal Credit to EU nationals who come to the UK as jobseekers.In line with the transitional controls imposed through the Accession of Croatia (Immigration and Worker Authorisation) Regulations, Croatian nationals, who are subject to worker authorisation, have no right to reside in the UK as jobseekers.

Offences against Children

Lord Renwick of Clifton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of Detective Superintendent McDonald's description of child abuse allegations against Sir Edward Heath, Lord Bramall and Lord Brittan as "credible and true", and whether they have made representations to the Metropolitan Police Service that an apology should be issued regarding that statement.

Lord Bates: The Government is clear that allegations of child abuse should be thoroughly and properly investigated. However decisions about arrest and charge are an operational matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service and it would be inappropriate for the Home Office to comment further.

Asylum

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what qualifications are required for Immigration Officers who decide the success or failure of asylum applications.

Lord Bates: The Home Office does not employ Immigration Officers to assess asylum claims. Staff employed to make asylum decisions are either Executive Officers or Higher Executive Officers with a minimum educational requirement of 2 GCE A Level passes A-C and 5 GCSE passes including Mathematics and English.

Asylum: Appeals

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many initial asylum application decisions have been overturned on appeal in the past five years.

Lord Bates: Figures on asylum appeal determinations are published quarterly by the Home Office in the Immigration Statistics release. The following table gives annual figures for asylum appeals that were allowed, from 2011 to 2015.Asylum appeals allowed, from 2011 to 2015YearAppeals Allowed20112,77920122,20820132,07820141,75820153,234Source: Table as_14, volume 4 of Asylum data tables, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015, Home Office A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015, is available from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2015

Asylum: Appeals

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many asylum applications by those aged 18 to 25 have been overturned on appeal in the past five years.

Lord Bates: The table provided gives annual figures for the number of appeals allowed from applicants aged between 18 and 25 at the time of applying for asylum. This is a subset of published data.Asylum appeals allowed, for applicants aged 18 to 25 at the time of asylum application, 2011 to 2015YearAppeals allowed, age 18 to 25 (1)20118042012622201354920144762015949 Source: Home Office, subset of published appeals allowed figures in table as_14, volume 4 of the Asylum data tables, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015(1) Age relates to the age at initial asylum applicationA copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015, is available from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2015.

Refugees

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the 20,000 refugees promised to be accepted in the UK will have arrived by May.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what timetable is proposed to ensure that their promise to welcome 20,000 refugees by 2020 is fulfilled.

Lord Bates: The Government is working closely with local authorities, international delivery partners and the voluntary sector, putting in place the plans and structures to deliver this and ensuring the system is scaled up in a way that protects the interests of all concerned. The number resettled in a particular period will depend on a range of factors. This includes the number of referrals we have received from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the number of confirmed places we have received from local authorities that are suitable for the specific needs of those who have been accepted for resettlement. Progress on resettlement will be indicated in quarterly immigration statistics - the last set were published in February 2016 and showed 1,085 people resettled between October and December 2015.The Government remains on track to resettle 20,000 refugees by the end of the Parliament.

Refugees: Europe

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to make representations to the governments of other European countries that all European states should act to mobilise goodwill and to help families, voluntary organisations and local groups to welcome and take responsibility for refugees reaching Europe.

Lord Bates: The UK is in regular contact with European partners regarding the migrant situation. The care and reception of people arriving in Europe needing international protection rests with the countries to which they arrive but the UK calls upon all European states to ensure all international obligations are met and asylum seekers and refugees are treated humanely. We continue to work together towards a sustainable and comprehensive response to the migrant situation.

Immigration

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many persons were admitted to the UK in 2015 for exceptional or compassionate reasons, outside the normal Immigration Rules.

Lord Bates: The information requested is not available without incurring disproportionate cost.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

North Korea: Prisons

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any projects funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are within one hundred miles of Kyo-hwa-so camps, Kwan-li-so camps, Ku-ryu-jang centres, Jip-kyul-so prisons or Ro-dong-dan-ryeon-dae centres; and what steps they are taking through the British Embassy in Pyongyang to access prisoners in those camps.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are not aware of any Foreign and Commonwealth Office funded projects that take place within one hundred miles of Kyo-hwa-so camps, Kwan-li-so camps, Ku-ryu-jang centres, Jip-kyul-so prisons or Ro-dong-dan-ryeon-dae centres. Together with other EU member states resident in Pyongyang, our Embassy has requested access to these camps on numerous occasions, and will continue to do so. However, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to refuse access by independent observers.

Calais: Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of France about their plans for the refugee camp at Calais, known as The Jungle; in particular (1) whether the site will be forcibly reduced to 500 women and children in the Jules Ferry Centre, and 1500 others in container units; (2) what facilities for cooking and education there will be for the latter; and (3) what is to happen to current residents who are not willing to move to the semi-permanent units or to go to centres d’accueil.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The management of the migrant camp in Calais is the responsibility of the French government. The French authorities plan to reduce the size of the Calais camp and improve humanitarian conditions, and are encouraging migrants to move into the heated containers or to one of the reflection centres (centres d’accueil) across France. We do not have details of how many people will remain at the site nor further information of the facilities in the camp. We have however cooperated closely with the French in their efforts to improve conditions in Calais by: providing support and facilities elsewhere in the country; carrying out joint visits to the camps to inform migrants about their rights and responsibilities; putting in place a joint programme to identify the most vulnerable migrants and moving them to a place of safety; increasing the number of places in the French asylum system and encouraging those in Calais to claim asylum. Migration issues were discussed at the UK-France Summit on 3 March. The summit communiqué provides details of the further cooperation agreed.

Dunkirk: Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of France about their plans for the refugees now in the Grande Synthe site near Dunkirk; what improvements are in progress; and whether voluntary organisations will be involved.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The management of the migrant situation in Dunkirk is the responsibility of the French government. We share the French government’s concerns about the difficult living conditions in the region and continue to assist their efforts to provide support and facilities elsewhere in France. Migration issues were discussed at the UK-France Summit on 3 March. The summit communiqué provides details of the further cooperation agreed.

Israel: Politics and Government

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel on the suspension of three Arab-Israeli members from speaking in the Knesset.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel on the placing of razor wire by Israeli forces on a route taken by school children in Toqou’ village south of Bethlehem.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not had discussions with the Israeli authorities on this specific issue. However, we have raised concerns on several occasions with the relevant Israeli authorities about the route of the barrier.

Bahrain: Nationality

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Bahrain concerning (1) the Bahrainis who have already been deprived of citizenship, (2) the 260 persons who may lose citizenship following alleged acts of terror, and (3) possible discrimination against members of the Shia Scholars Council and of Al Wefaq party; and whether they have had satisfactory replies.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We condemn all acts of terrorism and support Bahrain’s right to bring to justice those who commit terrorist acts. We also continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to meets its human rights obligations and honour all conventions to which it is a party – including on citizenship rights. We regularly discuss human rights with the Government of Bahrain - including at the biannual UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting which was most recently held in November 2015. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), most recently raised human rights with his Bahraini counterpart, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, on 4 February 2016.We believe that governance is a matter for all political parties in Bahrain. That is why we urge all political parties, including Al Wefaq who boycotted elections in November 2014, to engage constructively in the electoral process.

Nuclear Weapons

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider hosting a conference on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear war similar to those hosted by Oslo, Nayarit and Vienna.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK has no plans to host such a conference.

Gulf States: Foreign Relations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish their strategy for the UK's relationship with the Gulf States.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK is clear that its relationships with Gulf States matter to our mutual security and prosperity as laid down in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015. We continue to work in collaboration with Gulf partners to deepen relations. We will set out in due course our vision of our future relationships with partners in the region in our new Gulf Strategy.

Syria: Politics and Government

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the cost of their support for the Syrian moderate opposition in each year since 2011.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK has delivered over £100m in non-humanitarian support to Syria, Jordan and Lebanon since the start of the crisis from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund and its predecessor, the Conflict Pool. This has focussed on strengthening the moderate opposition, including the High Negotiations Committee of the Syrian Opposition, the Syrian National Coalition, civil society, civil defenders, local councils, human rights and media activists. We have also provided some non-lethal support to elements of the Syrian armed oppositionThe UK’s support is building resilience against extremists, fostering civil society in besieged areas, providing search and rescue training, medical support, promoting human rights, delivering basic governance and laying the foundations for a more peaceful and inclusive future for Syria.

Gulf States: Human Rights

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last raised the issue of human rights with the governments of (1) Saudi Arabia, and (2) Iran.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We regularly raise our concerns over human rights in Saudi Arabia with the Saudi Arabian government, and did so most recently on 22 February. We repeatedly call on the Iranian government to guarantee the human rights of all Iranians and will continue to do so. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), most recently raised the issue with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif when he visited the UK on 5 February.

EU Enlargement

Lord Grocott: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which countries have expressed an interest in applying for membership of the EU.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) states that any European State which respects its values and is committed to promoting them may apply to become a member of the Union. The Council currently recognises five candidates for EU membership: Turkey, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Serbia. Turkey, Montenegro and Serbia have started accession negotiations. Albania and Macedonia have Candidate Status but have not started accession negotiations. Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted its membership application on 15 February 2016. The General Affairs Council will revert to Bosnia and Herzegovina's application once it deems that sufficient progress in the implementation of the Reform Agenda has been achieved. Kosovo is recognised as a potential candidate and has signed and concluded a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU. Iceland started negotiations in 2013, but last year requested that it no longer be considered a candidate country.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to respond to the European Parliament’s call for an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia, and if so, how.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: It is up to individual member states, not the European Parliament, to make national arms export licensing decisions.The Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application.We are able to review licences and suspend or revoke as necessary when circumstances require.The Government is satisfied that extant licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licensing criteria.

Conference on Disarmament

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which of the permanent members of the UN Security Council support the UK’s proposal to the Conference on Disarmament, as set out by the UK Permanent Representative to that Conference in his letter of 19 February (CD/2055).

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Discussions on this are still at an early stage and it would be inappropriate for the UK to comment on other States’ positions before they are made public. However, we hope that all members of the UN Conference on Disarmament can support the UK proposal to establish a working group and an associated programme of work.

Tunisia: Travel Information

Baroness Suttie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings they have had recently with the government of Tunisia to discuss the current travel advice for UK citizens intending to travel to Tunisia; and whether they have any plans to amend that advice.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Ministers and officials are in regular contact with the Tunisian authorities, including on the matter of Travel Advice. The most recent discussions were in February 2016 when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), met the Tunisian Ambassador in London, and the Chargé d’ Affairs in Tunis met the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Interior.We keep our travel advice for Tunisia under constant review, taking into account the current terrorist threat and the Tunisian capacity to deter and respond to that threat. The safety of British nationals abroad remains our priority.

Tunisia: Tourism

Baroness Suttie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are funding training for the Tunisian tourism industry in order to improve their security arrangements, and if so, by how much.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Following the terrorist attacks in Sousse the British Government made a commitment to help the Tunisian government improve its security arrangements. This includes helping them improve their counter-terrorism capacity and ability to protect tourists, including British nationals. The UK continues to lead on providing expertise and mentoring for protective security with support from international partners. We do not release details of specific counter-terrorism activities for operational and security reasons.

Occupied Territories: Housing

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they define the word "illegal" with reference to the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, to which Israel is a state party, prohibits an occupying power from transferring its own civilian population into occupied territory. Consequently, settlements are illegal under international law. The UK’s position on the settlements is clear. They are illegal, present an obstacle to peace and take us further away from a two-state solution.

Islamic State

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the decision by Germany to give refuge to 1,000 Yazidi women and girls freed from Islamic State slavery, whether they will table the Resolution of the European Parliament declaring a genocide against Yazidis and Christians in Syria and Iraq at the UN Security Council.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), and other ministers have explained in response to similar questions, it is the long-standing policy of successive governments that any judgements on whether genocide has occurred are a matter for the international judicial system rather than legislatures, governments or other non-judicial bodies. Our approach is to seek an end to all violations of International Humanitarian Law, and to prevent their further escalation, irrespective of whether these violations fit the definition of specific international crimes. We welcome the European Parliament resolution. However, European Parliament resolutions are not binding and do not create legal obligations on Member States. We have no plans to table this resolution at the UN Security Council.Ultimately, the best way of preventing future atrocities is to defeat Daesh and its violent ideology. That’s why the UK is playing a leading role in a Global Coalition of 66 countries and international organisations to respond to Daesh’s inhumanity.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the use of tear gas at Qitoun checkpoint against Palestinian children on their way to school.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have not made any representations to the Israeli authorities on this specific issue, we consistently urge Israeli contacts against the use of excessive force.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take following the second postponement of the visit to follow up the June 2012 report Children in Military Custody.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: On 18 February during his visit to Israel, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), expressed his disappointment to Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister at Israel's unwillingness to facilitate meetings for the British lawyers. We are now considering alternative means to take forward this work.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to commemorate the centenary of the Balfour Declaration.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The centenary of the Balfour Declaration in 2017 is one of a number of significant upcoming anniversaries relating to the Middle East. We are beginning to plan for these anniversaries in conjunction with our international partners. These plans are still at an early stage.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what involvement they intend to have in the French-organised Israel-Palestine conference planned for this summer.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are in the early stages of consultation with the French and other partners on this potential proposal, and will assess how the UK should participate on the basis of whether or not it supports progress towards a two-state solution.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action the Prime Minister intends to take regarding the continued construction of the illegal settlements in the West Bank following his comments that those settlements are "genuinely shocking" and an "infringement into Palestinian lives and land".

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We will continue to raise our objections to settlements with the Israeli government. On 18 February during his visit to Israel, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), discussed the issue of settlement with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, reiterating the UK's position.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take following the demolition by Israel of the only school in the Abu al-Nuwaar community near the town of al-Eizariya in the occupied West Bank.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Whilst we have not raised this particular demolition with the Israeli authorities, our position is clear: demolitions cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians and are, in all but the most exceptional of cases, contrary to international humanitarian law. We regularly raise the issue of demolitions with our Israeli counterparts.

Israel: Palestinians

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the proposals contained in Separation: Putting a Border on the Conflict published on 29 February by the Chairman of the Zionist Union and of the Israeli Labour Party.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not made any assessment of the proposals contained in the document 'Separation: Putting a Border on the Conflict'. We will judge any proposals on the basis of whether we assess they support progress towards the two-state solution.

Boko Haram

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the evidence that recent attacks on the north-east Borna State in Nigeria, and attacks in neighbouring Chad and Cameroon, are being carried out by Boko Haram.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Boko Haram usually do not claim responsibility for individual attacks, which often take place in remote areas with no international presence. However, they are the only terrorist organisation conducting this type and scale of attack in North East Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad Basin region, including in Chad and Cameroon. This assessment is shared by Nigerian National and State-level authorities as well as civil society across the region.

Yazidis: Refugees

Baroness Crawley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to match the initiative of the government of Germany in providing special counselling, care and other medical support to Yazidi women who have suffered sexual and physical abuse at the hands of Islamic State.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: In the last few years, the UK has led the world on tackling sexual violence in conflict, working with international partners such as the UN, EU and Red Cross. In the Middle East we are supporting vulnerable women and girls through our role in the international humanitarian relief effort. The more than £2.3 billion we are providing in response to these crises is the UK’s largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. We recognise the plight faced by vulnerable women and girls in the region, and particularly those women, including Yazidis, who have escaped following enslavement by Daesh. That is why we have funded the establishment of three community centres in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq which provide them with psychosocial and legal support, and the provision of two UN technical experts who will continue to improve the coordination of the humanitarian response to gender based violence in Iraq. Through the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund we are also providing life-saving maternal and specialised support for escapees of Daesh terror. The British Government is also funding a project which aims to improve the documentation of sexual violence and other gender based cases in a victim sensitive way. We also co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council Resolution mandating the UN to investigate and report on Daesh abuses. Ultimately, the only way to protect civilians, including Yazidi women, from Daesh is by defeating this terrible organisation, which in turn requires, amongst other things, ending the conflict in Syria. The UK has been at the forefront of these efforts. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), set out the Government’s comprehensive strategy for dealing with Daesh and the conflict in Syria in his response to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 26 November 2015.

Islamic State: Yazidis

Baroness Crawley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to help liberate Yazidi women currently being held in captivity in Iraq and Syria by Islamic State.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government agrees that there is an urgent need to protect civilians in Syria and Iraq and recognises the plight faced by vulnerable women and girls in the region. Ultimately, the only way to protect civilians, including Yazidi women from Daesh is by defeating this terrible organisation, which in turn requires, amongst other things, ending the conflict in Syria. The UK has been at the forefront of these efforts and plays a leading role in a Global Coalition of 66 countries and international organisations to respond to Daesh’s inhumanity. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), set out the Government’s comprehensive strategy for dealing with Daesh and the conflict in Syria in his response to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 26 November 2015.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release

Lord Trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what powers are available to ministers to order the release of prisoners duly sentenced and held in England and Wales.

Lord Faulks: Prisoners are held in accordance with the type and length of sentence they are given by the courts and legislation prescribes when and how they are to be released. The majority are released automatically, with standard determinate sentence prisoners released at the half-way point in their sentence. Some prisoners are released at the discretion of the independent Parole Board – for example, all prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence and some extended sentence prisoners – once they have reached the point in their sentence when they are eligible to be considered for parole. Legislation also gives the Secretary of State discretion to release sentenced prisoners in certain circumstances. In practice, these decisions are taken on behalf of the Secretary of State by prison governors or other officials in the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). For example, some shorter sentenced, low risk offenders may be considered for release before their automatic release date under the Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme, at the discretion of prison governors. There is also a statutory power for the Secretary of State to release any sentenced prisoner if there are exceptional circumstances which justify release on compassionate grounds. Decisions on whether to grant early compassionate release are taken on a case-by-case basis by senior officials in NOMS.

Legal Aid Scheme

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to implement the second legal aid fee cut when its suspension ends on 1 April 2017.

Lord Faulks: We will review the matter in due course and any announcement will be made in the usual way.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of planned changes to personal injury law and whiplash claims on access to justice.

Lord Faulks: The Government will consult on the detail of the new reforms in due course, including any necessary safeguards. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Disciplinary Proceedings

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the Justice Secretary Michael Gove's letter to the Justice Select Committee chair dated 19 February regarding errors in the processing of warrants, how many staff have been suspended or have had disciplinary action taken against them as a result of such errors.

Lord Faulks: To date formal disciplinary action has been initiated against eight members of staff in Greater Manchester. Two of the eight have been suspended pending the formal disciplinary proceedings. These are inexcusable errors, for which we sincerely apologise. HMCTS is conducting a full investigation and will take appropriate disciplinary action. Immediate steps have been taken to ensure that proper procedures are now being followed.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Bede's World Museum

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure that the Bede’s World museum in Jarrow will be able to re-open after its unexpected closure.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As a local authority heritage attraction, the management of Bede's World is a matter for South Tyneside Council to address as part of the council's overall cultural offer. Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund are continuing to liaise closely with the council as they explore practical options for operating Bede's World in the future.

Public Service Broadcasting

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 23 July 2015 (HL1549) and 12 February (HL5902), why there has been a delay in publication of proposals to repeal section 73 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 which, according to Written Answer HL1549, was due by the end of 2015.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government is still considering its response to the balance of payments consultation which asked a number of questions on a range of topics. We will publish a response in the coming months.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Young People

Lord Smith of Clifton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many 18 to 21 year-olds in (1) England, and (2) Greater London, claimed (a) Jobseekers' Allowance, and (b) Employment and Support Allowance, broken down by those in the work-related activity group, and those not.

Lord Freud: Please see table below for requested information; Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)TotalAge Group  18-24 yearsCaseload (Thousands)Total634.61124.73London105.517.84 Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)TotalAge Group  18-24 yearsWork Related Activity GroupCaseload (Thousands)Total2,355.16187.57465.86London289.6517.7747.11 Notes:Data is not available for age group 18-21 years, therefore data provided covers 18-24 years. The Management Information cannot identify the claimants who fall under the requested age range and those which are in the work related activity group.

EU Nationals: Social Security Benefits

Lord Hamilton of Epsom: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the level of migration from the EU of the "emergency brake" proposed in the Decision of the European Council concerning a new settlement for the UK within the EU, and whether that proposal will affect any claims for non-contributory in-work benefits made by British citizens, including those returning from permanent residence abroad.

Lord Freud: The Decision of the European Council concerning a new settlement for the UK recognises, for the first time, that different social security systems across Member States can attract EU workers. Government figures show that around 40 per cent of recent EEA migrants are in households supported by the benefit system. On average, families with a recent EEA migrant claim almost £6,000 per year in tax credits, and of these, around 8,000 families receive more than £10,000. The brake will apply to those moving from elsewhere in the EU to the UK for work. It will not apply to UK nationals living and working here.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Subsidies

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to process the claims under the basic payments scheme of farmers who are still awaiting mapping and registration before the close of the application period this year.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: As of 22 February the Rural Payments Agency had paid just under 71,000 farmers some £1.11 billion and is working hard to pay the remainder promptly. All those farm businesses registered on the Rural Payments service in 2015 remain registered for 2016 though they are advised to check their details and update them where necessary. We will communicate with those with outstanding queries to help them through the 2016 application window which opens in early March 2016 and closes at midnight on 16 May 2016.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications for British farmers of the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government's view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off in a reformed EU. Separately, the UK continues to make the case for improvement to the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) so that it is simpler and more effective. Reducing the administrative burden of the CAP on farmers is a necessary part of increasing the competitiveness of our food and farming industries.

Dogs: Quarantine

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to extend the post-vaccination wait period for puppies entering the UK from three weeks to six months.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The requirement for vaccination against rabies prior to movement into the UK from other European Union Member States and certain other low risk countries is set out in of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, the Pet Travel Regulation. The Regulation requires effective rabies vaccination prior to movement. This means that dogs must be a minimum of 12 weeks of age before being vaccinated against rabies as there is a risk that vaccination at a younger age may provide ineffective protection. The requirement for 21 days to elapse between vaccination and movement is to allow rabies immunity to develop. These rules were amended on 29 December 2014 and included an increase in the minimum age at which a dog could be vaccinated. We are not aware of any plans by the Commission to bring forward proposals to further amend the rules and we have no plans to seek an amendment.

Dairy Farming: Animal Welfare

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what research is taking place on the impact on milk quality of housing cows in large-scale indoor dairy sheds.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: There is no evidence to suggest that increasing the size of herds has any impact on milk quality. Other factors are more relevant such as nutrition and genetics.

Dairy Farming

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made towards extending the remit of the Grocery Code Adjudicator to the contractual relationship between small family dairy farmers and dairy processors.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government introduced the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) to enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (the Code) which regulates the relationship between the UK’s ten largest supermarkets and their direct suppliers. The Code was put in place in 2009 by the Office of Fair Trading (now the Competition and Markets Authority), following a market investigation by the Competition Commission. The Code will be reviewed shortly. The dairy industry code of best practice on contractual arrangements was created in Great Britain in 2012. Among its provisions is a requirement for 30 days’ notice of a cut to a farmer's price or other significant change to contractual terms. In addition, a farmer who disagrees with a proposed price change or significant change to contractual terms can exercise a right to terminate the contract on three months’ notice. About 85% of processors have signed up to it.

Squirrels: Pest Control

Lord Inglewood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many grey squirrels were culled on the public estate in each Forest District of England and Wales in each of the last three years; and how many were culled by (1) trapping, and (2) shooting, in each of the years in each of the Districts.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Forestry Commission does not hold records of the numbers of squirrels killed on the public forest estate in England. The Forestry Commission ceased to operate in Wales on 1 April 2013 with the creation of Natural Resources Wales and we do not hold any information on grey squirrel culling on the Welsh Government woodland estate.

Forests: Pest Control

Lord Inglewood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Forestry Commission permits forms of shooting on any of its land in circumstances which fall within its definition of "free shooting".

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Forestry Commission only associates the term free-shooting with the control of grey squirrels for the protection of red squirrel populations and the reduction of damage to timber crops, not any other wildlife management activity.There may be occasions where free-shooting takes place by the holders of Game Shooting Leases or by its own wildlife rangers. There may also be free-shooting of grey squirrels carried out where there are retained sporting rights over which the Forestry Commission does not exercise any direct control.

Milk: Sales

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of UK liquid milk has been sold by the 10 leading supermarkets over each of the past five years.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Virtually all liquid milk sold at retail in the UK is UK produced, since imports account for less than 1% of the total UK supply. We do not hold any data on milk sales provided by retailers.

Dairy Products

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of cheese, butter and yoghurt consumed in the UK came from UK-produced milk in each of the past five years.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The table below shows the UK production as a percentage of supply for butter and cheese in each of the last five years. This calculation is based upon the volume of supplies (UK production plus imports minus the volume of exports). We do not hold equivalent data for yoghurt. Annual data is not yet available for 2015. UK production and supply of butter YearUK production (a) 000tImports 000tExports 000tUK production as a percentage of supplies20101201022762%20111301003667%20121451043869%20131451064570%2014141955176%(a)Includes wholesale and farm production of butter including butter other than natural (i.e. butterfat and oil, dehydrated butter and ghee), production from the residual of low fat milk products.UK production and supply of cheeseYearUK production (a) 000tImports 000tExports 000tUK production as a percentage of supplies201037643611354%201139541412458%201239744412655%201338846812553%201441646913455% (a) Includes wholesale and farm production. Source: Defra and HMRC

Department for Communities and Local Government

Mayors

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria are being employed to determine the accountability of elected metropolitan mayors that have been agreed as part of devolution deals.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Mayors that have been agreed as part of devolution deals will provide accountable, visible and transparent leadership for their local area. They will be directly elected and accountable through the ballot box. Additionally, they will be held to account by the combined authority, who will be able to reject or amend their spending plans and strategies. Their decisions and actions will also be examined by an overview and scrutiny committee and an audit committee, that must be established following the commencement of the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016. These committees will be able to 'call-in' decisions and ask that they be reviewed, they can also demand the mayor to answer questions before them, and these hearings will be open to the public, who will have the legal right to film, blog, tweet or use any other type of social media.

Local Government: Devolution

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made on devolution deals for non-metropolitan areas.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government is determined to rebalance the economy and empower local government through the devolution of powers away from Whitehall. We have already agreed seven ground-breaking devolution deals with areas ranging from Liverpool to Cornwall.The Government is progressing devolution discussions with non-metropolitan areas that submitted devolution proposals in September 2015. We are at an advanced stage in negotiations with a number of non-metropolitan areas and expect to be able to announce further deals in the near future.

Local Government Finance

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations from (1) county councils, (2) London boroughs, and (3) metropolitan boroughs, unitary authorities and district councils, were received between 17 December 2015 and 8 February 2016 regarding the Local Government Finance Settlement, and what assessment they have made of the extent to which the final settlement meets the concerns raised in each case.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement ran from 17 December 2015 to 15 January 2016. During this period, the Government received 278 responses, including 89 from shire districts, 36 from unitary authorities, 28 from metropolitan districts, 26 from shire counties, and 25 from London boroughs. A detailed summary of all responses (attached) are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/499283/Summary_of_responses_to_provisional_LGFS_consultation.pdfThe Government listened closely to concerns raised and considered all representations carefully when determining the final settlement. For the financial year ahead, the final settlement provides councils with at least the resources allocated to them by the provisional settlement. In addition, transitional funding will be provided for the first two years of the Spending Review period.



Summary of responses
(PDF Document, 369.49 KB)

Local Government Finance

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the allocation of the transitional grant to those local authority areas that are in greatest need, and on what basis those needs were assessed.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The local government finance settlement distributed revenue support grant by looking at the main resources that are available to local councils. The Local Government Finance Report (England) 2016/2017 sets out the basis of this distribution and the results can be found (attached) on the government website at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2016-to-2017.Transition Grant is for places that did not benefit from these changes in the formula. I refer the noble Lord to the debate on the Local Government Finance (England) on 10 February 2016, Official Report, Columns 1643 and 1645 (attached). The fund will be applied in direct proportion to the difference in the revenue support grant that would have been experienced and so it will ease the change from a system based on central Government grant to one in which local sources determine a council’s revenue.



Hansard document
(Word Document, 24.67 KB)




Local Government Finance Settlement - 2016 -2017
(PDF Document, 201.62 KB)

Local Government Finance

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the timescale for reviewing the formula that assesses a local authority’s needs against the costs that it incurs in addressing such needs.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: By the end of this Parliament, local authorities will fund local services from local taxes, including £26 billion raised from business rates. This is a real opportunity to reshape the role of local government and a major step forward in our plans to boost growth and give local people more control over how their money is spent.We have announced that we will conduct a review of what the needs assessment formula should be in a world in which all local government spending is funded by local resources not central grant, and use it to determine the transition to 100 per cent business rates retention. We will develop this approach in partnership with local government.

HM Treasury

Kids Company: Gift Aid

Baroness Barker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much Kids Company received in gift aid payments from 2005–6 to 2015–16.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has a statutory duty to maintain taxpayer confidentiality and cannot comment on the affairs of individual organisations. HMRC publishes national statistics showing the total cost of Gift Aid and other charitable tax reliefs.

Google: Taxation

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 12 February (HL5642), how they describe the recent settlement of the payment of tax by Google if not as a "special arrangement".

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) collects the tax due under the law. It does not enter into special arrangements with taxpayers. In accordance with its published guidelines on resolving disputes, HMRC has taxed all of Google’s profits chargeable to tax in the UK for the period in question at the full statutory rate of tax.

EU Nationals: Immigration

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what definition is used by HM Revenue and Customs to define an EU migrant family, and for what purposes such classifications are used; and which other government departments use similar definitions and classification, and for what purposes.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: EU migrant family is not a technical term that HM Revenue & Customs use in their calculations.

Pensions: Self-employed

Baroness Drake: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase private pension saving by the self-employed.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The 2005 Turner Commission recommended that the self-employed should be able to join a pension in an easy and cost-effective fashion. Therefore the Government-backed pension provider, the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) offers low-charge pension schemes to the self-employed, as well as to all employers. Automatic enrolment has been a huge success to date with almost 6 million eligible workers people now enrolled. We will be reviewing automatic enrolment in 2017. We are keen to identify issues that should be addressed within the review and will be working with stakeholders to determine its scope. The Government also recognises that the self-employed might benefit from saving in different ways to employees. In 2011 the Government introduced carry forward of annual allowances, which allow individuals with irregular earnings to use any unused Annual Allowance from the previous three years to contribute more to their pension in particular years, if this suits them better than making more regular pension contributions.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Department of Energy and Climate Change: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department of Energy and Climate Change will publish records of external meetings held by special advisers to its ministers.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 23 February 2016.The correct answer should have been:

The Government publishes an unprecedented amount of data; departments publish details of Ministers and Permanent Secretaries meetings' with external organisations, and Special Advisers' meetings with senior media figures. The information requested is not held centrally and there are no plans to extend current arrangements.”

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Government publishes an unprecedented amount of data; departments publish details of Ministers and Permanent Secretaries meetings' with external organisations, and Special Advisers' meetings with senior media figures. The information requested is not held centrally and there are no plans to extend current arrangements.”

Department of Energy and Climate Change: Ecofys

Baroness Golding: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what independent reports, if any, they have commissioned from Ecofys in the past five years; when they received those reports; whether those reports were published; and if not, whether they will now publish those reports.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: Data on the number of smart electricity and gas meters installed in Great Britain is set out in the Government’s ‘Smart Meters, Great Britain, Quarterly report to end September 2015’, published on 22 December 2015:The roll-out is making good progress with more than 2 million meters now operating under the Programme which covers Great Britain. Northern Ireland is undertaking a separate roll-out programme.Currently, data is published only at Great Britain level. Data is not collected from energy suppliers in a way that allows constituency or regional-level data to be produced.

Fracking: Regulation

Baroness Featherstone: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they have forecast they will spend on staff costs related to regulating fracking in each year to 2020.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: Staff costs related to shale gas will be determined as part of the Department’s current business planning process.

Cabinet Office

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 11 January (HL4782), what assessment they have made of the terms of reference, composition, duration and cost of the Chilcot inquiry.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Chilcot Inquiry was set up by the Labour Government following consultation with other political parties and with the support of Parliament. The Government looks forward to the publication of the Inquiry’s report in June or July, in accordance with Sir John Chilcot’s most recent letter to the Prime Minister.

Political Parties: Finance

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have to seek agreement on a comprehensive package of party funding reform, as set out in the Cabinet Office Departmental Plan 2015–20 published on 19 February.

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to seek agreement on a comprehensive package of party funding reform, as outlined in the Cabinet Office single departmental plan: 2015 to 2020, and what cross-party discussions they are holding to that end.

Lord Bridges of Headley: We remain committed to seeking a comprehensive cross-party reform agreement. No cross-party discussions are currently taking place.

Recall of MPs Act 2015

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to prevent overspend by an accredited campaign in a Recall Petition under the Recall of MPs Act 2015.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Recall of MPs Act 2015 sets out that each accredited campaigner may spend up to a maximum of £10,000 campaigning either for or against the petition, while non-accredited campaigners may only spend up to £500.Each accredited campaigner must submit a statement which details all of the payments incurred in respect of the petition expenses, a statement of all unpaid claims and a statement of disputed claims. The return must be accompanied by a declaration, signed by the responsible person that to the best of his knowledge the return is complete and correct. The responsible person commits an offence if they fail to submit the return and if they knowingly submit a declaration knowing it to be false. The petition officer must then make the returns available for inspection by the public.

Recall of MPs Act 2015

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Electoral Commission will be given a role in checking the accuracy of returns from accredited campaigners in a Recall Petition under the Recall of MPs Act 2015.

Lord Bridges of Headley: Returns from accredited campaigners will be publicly available and can be inspected by the public. The enforcement of the rules will be broadly a matter for the police. The Government has no plans to amend the Recall of MPs Act 2015 to give the Electoral Commission a role in checking the accuracy of returns from accredited campaigners.

Department of Health

Human Embryo Experiments

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Prior of Brampton on 27 January (HL5039) and 12 February (HL5911), whether they are now able to confirm that the stated aims of the application recently approved by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to perform genome editing in human embryos by means of CRISPR-Cas9 had never included "increasing knowledge about the causes of miscarriages"; and which of the purposes as set out in the previous Written Answer were instead deemed to be fulfilled by the project.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s role in granting a research licence is to ensure that any project fulfils one of the purposes set out in the legislation. The Person Responsible applied for the same purposes as those which were granted. These are set out in paragraph 1.18 of the minutes of the Licence Committee meeting held on 14 January 2016; a copy of the minutes is attached.  



Licence Committee Minutes
(PDF Document, 282.76 KB)

Human Embryo Experiments

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Prior of Brampton on 11 February (HL5773, HL5959 and HL5960), why they have not placed in the Library of the House a full copy of the original licence application submitted to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to perform genome editing in human embryos by means of CRISPR-Cas9; why they have not placed in the Library of the House copies of the patient information and consent forms submitted to the HFEA by the person responsible in order to perform such work; how the conditions stipulated under paragraph 13 of Section G in Direction 0008 version 4 as published by HFEA on 29 October 2015 (http://www.hfea.gov.uk/docs/ General_Directions_0008. pdf) regarding "Information to be submitted to the HFEA as part of the licensing process" were satisfied in the case of the decision; and why they will not place in the Library of the House a full copy of the responses to peer reviewers by the person responsible.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) publishes on its website the inspection report relating to a licence renewal application and the minutes of the Licence Committee’s decision. It does not publish other information associated with a licence application. The Licence Committee considering the application to which the noble Lord refers was satisfied that the requirements of General Directions 0008 were met, with the exception of evidence of ethics approval, which must be submitted to the HFEA before any licensed research can begin.  The HFEA has advised that licence conditions R18-R27 and T97 address any potential conflict between the use of embryos in research and the use of embryos in the provision of treatment services. The person responsible did not give a reason on the application form for requesting that reference to surplus embryos should be removed from the research project title, nor are they required to do so. The removal of ‘surplus’ from the title does not reflect a change in the way embryos will be donated to the research.

Prostate Cancer

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the results, by health region, for the data in the most recent National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA), as shown in figure 8 of the NPCA Second Year Annual Report, regarding the proportion of (1) men with locally advanced disease undergoing radical prostate cancer treatment, (2) those operations with a hospital length of stay of over three days, and (3) those operations requiring emergency readmission within 90 days.

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government for those trusts carrying out radical prostate cancer treatments, what were the results for the following responses to the most recent National Prostate Cancer Audit: (1) the number of operations undertaken in the audit period, (2) the proportion of those operations with a hospital length of stay of over three days, and (3) the proportion of those operations requiring emergency readmission within 90 days.

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the first results from the prostate patient reported outcomes, and in particular for incontinence rates, will be available from the National Prostate Cancer Audit.

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why it was decided to use an 18-month period for patient reported outcomes in the next Prostate Cancer Audit rather than a six-month period, as used in Germany.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The proportion of men diagnosed with locally advanced prostate cancer between 2010 and 2013 (the Audit period) who had radical treatment, and the proportion who had a hospital length of stay over three days and who required an emergency readmission within 90 days following an operation, are presented by health region in the attached headed Table 1. It should be noted that the results presented are based on an analysis of data from the English Cancer Registry linked to the Hospital Episode Statistics. These data were collected before the start of the National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) in April 2013. The number of radical prostatectomies undertaken in men diagnosed between 2010 and 2013, and the proportion of men who had a hospital length of stay over three days and who had an emergency readmission within 90 days following an operation, are presented in the attached headed Table 2. The results of 56 men included in the data set used to generate Figure 8 in the NPCA Annual Report 2015 could not be included in Table 2. Of these men, 37 were treated in National Health Service trusts that treated fewer than five patients during the Audit period; and for 19 patients it was not possible to identify the NHS trust where they had undergone treatment without incurring disproportionate cost. The first results for the patient-reported outcomes of men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1 April 2014 and 30 September 2014, and who underwent radical treatment (prostatectomy, external beam radiation, brachytherapy, cryotherapy, and high-intensity focused ultrasound), will be included in the NPCA’s Annual Report 2016, which is due to be published in the last quarter of 2016. These results will include incontinence rates. Men who had radical prostate cancer treatment were invited to complete a questionnaire about their experiences of care as well as about treatment outcomes, 18 months after the date of diagnosis. It was decided that questionnaires should be sent out at this time after diagnosis because it can take more than one year for men who have radiotherapy, in combination with androgen deprivation therapy, to complete their treatment. Subsequently, it will take at least three months for men to fully recover from the transient side effects of the radiotherapy. In order to include all men and to measure the final treatment outcome – rather than outcomes still affected by the transient side effects – an 18-month period was chosen.  



Prostate Cancer Percentages Tables
(Word Document, 37.38 KB)

Autism

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) children under 9 years of age, (2) children aged between 9 and 16 inclusive, and (3) adults over 18, have been diagnosed with autism in each of the last five years.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The number of children, young people and adults diagnosed with autism by the National Health Service is not collected centrally. Latest figures from the School Census (2015) state that there were 90,775 pupils with an autistic spectrum disorder at state funded schools and non-maintained special schools in England. This has increased from a total of 56,250 in 2010 who were recorded as having a primary need of autism, but it is not directly comparable to the 2015 figures because of a change in collection methodology. Local authority areas provide information for Public Health England’s annual self-assessment exercise on implementing the Autism Strategy. This includes the number of adults receiving an autism diagnosis but because information is submitted on a voluntary basis a complete total for England is not available. The Department has discussed with NHS England the difficulties that people on the autistic spectrum can have in getting an appropriate diagnosis and support in a timely manner. NHS England has commenced a programme to visit clinical commissioning groups to identify and share good practice in accessing autism diagnosis, and look at possible barriers. The Department is funding the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services to support this work. NHS England will complete a report on this by the end of April 2016. The Department is also encouraging the autism third sector to work together and the four charity representatives on the Cross Government Autism Programme Board, which oversees the implementation of the Autism Strategy, gave presentations at the meeting on 18 February on work they are doing to increase public awareness. The charities are the National Autistic Society, the Autism Alliance UK, Autism Plus and Ambitious about Autism. The Autism Alliance UK is also being funded by the Department to undertake work with national and local organisations, to make reasonable adjustments to services and to train staff to be aware of what autism can mean to individuals who have the condition and their families. The Health and Social Care Information Centre’s publication Estimating the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Conditions in Adults - Extending the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) gave the overall prevalence of autism in England as 1.1% (95% confidence interval 0.3% to 1.9%). Among adults with learning disabilities living in private households whose learning disability was sufficiently severe that they could not have taken part in the 2007 APMS, the prevalence of autism was 35.4% (95% confidence interval 24.7% to 46.2%). Among adults with mild or severe learning disabilities living in communal care establishments, the prevalence of autism was 31% (95% confidence interval 23.9% to 38%). Detailed supporting information regarding the underlying data and how figures have been derived is found within the detail of the report, a copy of which is attached.The APMS was repeated in 2014 and findings are scheduled to be published in September 2016.



Attached report
(PDF Document, 663.74 KB)

Autism

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of long-term trends in the prevalence of autism in the UK.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The number of children, young people and adults diagnosed with autism by the National Health Service is not collected centrally. Latest figures from the School Census (2015) state that there were 90,775 pupils with an autistic spectrum disorder at state funded schools and non-maintained special schools in England. This has increased from a total of 56,250 in 2010 who were recorded as having a primary need of autism, but it is not directly comparable to the 2015 figures because of a change in collection methodology. Local authority areas provide information for Public Health England’s annual self-assessment exercise on implementing the Autism Strategy. This includes the number of adults receiving an autism diagnosis but because information is submitted on a voluntary basis a complete total for England is not available. The Department has discussed with NHS England the difficulties that people on the autistic spectrum can have in getting an appropriate diagnosis and support in a timely manner. NHS England has commenced a programme to visit clinical commissioning groups to identify and share good practice in accessing autism diagnosis, and look at possible barriers. The Department is funding the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services to support this work. NHS England will complete a report on this by the end of April 2016. The Department is also encouraging the autism third sector to work together and the four charity representatives on the Cross Government Autism Programme Board, which oversees the implementation of the Autism Strategy, gave presentations at the meeting on 18 February on work they are doing to increase public awareness. The charities are the National Autistic Society, the Autism Alliance UK, Autism Plus and Ambitious about Autism. The Autism Alliance UK is also being funded by the Department to undertake work with national and local organisations, to make reasonable adjustments to services and to train staff to be aware of what autism can mean to individuals who have the condition and their families. The Health and Social Care Information Centre’s publication Estimating the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Conditions in Adults - Extending the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) gave the overall prevalence of autism in England as 1.1% (95% confidence interval 0.3% to 1.9%). Among adults with learning disabilities living in private households whose learning disability was sufficiently severe that they could not have taken part in the 2007 APMS, the prevalence of autism was 35.4% (95% confidence interval 24.7% to 46.2%). Among adults with mild or severe learning disabilities living in communal care establishments, the prevalence of autism was 31% (95% confidence interval 23.9% to 38%). Detailed supporting information regarding the underlying data and how figures have been derived is found within the detail of the report, a copy of which is attached.The APMS was repeated in 2014 and findings are scheduled to be published in September 2016.



Attachment Report
(PDF Document, 663.74 KB)

Autism

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of people with autism who have a learning disability.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The number of children, young people and adults diagnosed with autism by the National Health Service is not collected centrally. Latest figures from the School Census (2015) state that there were 90,775 pupils with an autistic spectrum disorder at state funded schools and non-maintained special schools in England. This has increased from a total of 56,250 in 2010 who were recorded as having a primary need of autism, but it is not directly comparable to the 2015 figures because of a change in collection methodology. Local authority areas provide information for Public Health England’s annual self-assessment exercise on implementing the Autism Strategy. This includes the number of adults receiving an autism diagnosis but because information is submitted on a voluntary basis a complete total for England is not available. The Department has discussed with NHS England the difficulties that people on the autistic spectrum can have in getting an appropriate diagnosis and support in a timely manner. NHS England has commenced a programme to visit clinical commissioning groups to identify and share good practice in accessing autism diagnosis, and look at possible barriers. The Department is funding the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services to support this work. NHS England will complete a report on this by the end of April 2016. The Department is also encouraging the autism third sector to work together and the four charity representatives on the Cross Government Autism Programme Board, which oversees the implementation of the Autism Strategy, gave presentations at the meeting on 18 February on work they are doing to increase public awareness. The charities are the National Autistic Society, the Autism Alliance UK, Autism Plus and Ambitious about Autism. The Autism Alliance UK is also being funded by the Department to undertake work with national and local organisations, to make reasonable adjustments to services and to train staff to be aware of what autism can mean to individuals who have the condition and their families. The Health and Social Care Information Centre’s publication Estimating the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Conditions in Adults - Extending the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) gave the overall prevalence of autism in England as 1.1% (95% confidence interval 0.3% to 1.9%). Among adults with learning disabilities living in private households whose learning disability was sufficiently severe that they could not have taken part in the 2007 APMS, the prevalence of autism was 35.4% (95% confidence interval 24.7% to 46.2%). Among adults with mild or severe learning disabilities living in communal care establishments, the prevalence of autism was 31% (95% confidence interval 23.9% to 38%). Detailed supporting information regarding the underlying data and how figures have been derived is found within the detail of the report, a copy of which is attached.The APMS was repeated in 2014 and findings are scheduled to be published in September 2016.



Attachment Report
(PDF Document, 663.74 KB)

Autism

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to reduce waiting times for autism diagnosis.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The number of children, young people and adults diagnosed with autism by the National Health Service is not collected centrally. Latest figures from the School Census (2015) state that there were 90,775 pupils with an autistic spectrum disorder at state funded schools and non-maintained special schools in England. This has increased from a total of 56,250 in 2010 who were recorded as having a primary need of autism, but it is not directly comparable to the 2015 figures because of a change in collection methodology. Local authority areas provide information for Public Health England’s annual self-assessment exercise on implementing the Autism Strategy. This includes the number of adults receiving an autism diagnosis but because information is submitted on a voluntary basis a complete total for England is not available. The Department has discussed with NHS England the difficulties that people on the autistic spectrum can have in getting an appropriate diagnosis and support in a timely manner. NHS England has commenced a programme to visit clinical commissioning groups to identify and share good practice in accessing autism diagnosis, and look at possible barriers. The Department is funding the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services to support this work. NHS England will complete a report on this by the end of April 2016. The Department is also encouraging the autism third sector to work together and the four charity representatives on the Cross Government Autism Programme Board, which oversees the implementation of the Autism Strategy, gave presentations at the meeting on 18 February on work they are doing to increase public awareness. The charities are the National Autistic Society, the Autism Alliance UK, Autism Plus and Ambitious about Autism. The Autism Alliance UK is also being funded by the Department to undertake work with national and local organisations, to make reasonable adjustments to services and to train staff to be aware of what autism can mean to individuals who have the condition and their families. The Health and Social Care Information Centre’s publication Estimating the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Conditions in Adults - Extending the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) gave the overall prevalence of autism in England as 1.1% (95% confidence interval 0.3% to 1.9%). Among adults with learning disabilities living in private households whose learning disability was sufficiently severe that they could not have taken part in the 2007 APMS, the prevalence of autism was 35.4% (95% confidence interval 24.7% to 46.2%). Among adults with mild or severe learning disabilities living in communal care establishments, the prevalence of autism was 31% (95% confidence interval 23.9% to 38%). Detailed supporting information regarding the underlying data and how figures have been derived is found within the detail of the report, a copy of which is attached.The APMS was repeated in 2014 and findings are scheduled to be published in September 2016.



Attachment Report
(PDF Document, 663.74 KB)

Autism

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase public awareness and understanding of autism.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The number of children, young people and adults diagnosed with autism by the National Health Service is not collected centrally. Latest figures from the School Census (2015) state that there were 90,775 pupils with an autistic spectrum disorder at state funded schools and non-maintained special schools in England. This has increased from a total of 56,250 in 2010 who were recorded as having a primary need of autism, but it is not directly comparable to the 2015 figures because of a change in collection methodology. Local authority areas provide information for Public Health England’s annual self-assessment exercise on implementing the Autism Strategy. This includes the number of adults receiving an autism diagnosis but because information is submitted on a voluntary basis a complete total for England is not available. The Department has discussed with NHS England the difficulties that people on the autistic spectrum can have in getting an appropriate diagnosis and support in a timely manner. NHS England has commenced a programme to visit clinical commissioning groups to identify and share good practice in accessing autism diagnosis, and look at possible barriers. The Department is funding the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services to support this work. NHS England will complete a report on this by the end of April 2016. The Department is also encouraging the autism third sector to work together and the four charity representatives on the Cross Government Autism Programme Board, which oversees the implementation of the Autism Strategy, gave presentations at the meeting on 18 February on work they are doing to increase public awareness. The charities are the National Autistic Society, the Autism Alliance UK, Autism Plus and Ambitious about Autism. The Autism Alliance UK is also being funded by the Department to undertake work with national and local organisations, to make reasonable adjustments to services and to train staff to be aware of what autism can mean to individuals who have the condition and their families. The Health and Social Care Information Centre’s publication Estimating the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Conditions in Adults - Extending the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) gave the overall prevalence of autism in England as 1.1% (95% confidence interval 0.3% to 1.9%). Among adults with learning disabilities living in private households whose learning disability was sufficiently severe that they could not have taken part in the 2007 APMS, the prevalence of autism was 35.4% (95% confidence interval 24.7% to 46.2%). Among adults with mild or severe learning disabilities living in communal care establishments, the prevalence of autism was 31% (95% confidence interval 23.9% to 38%). Detailed supporting information regarding the underlying data and how figures have been derived is found within the detail of the report, a copy of which is attached.The APMS was repeated in 2014 and findings are scheduled to be published in September 2016.



Attachment Report
(PDF Document, 663.74 KB)

General Practitioners: South Yorkshire

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many GP surgeries there are in (1) the City of Sheffield, and (2) South Yorkshire, and what if any issues they intend to address as a consequence.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Government has made no such assessment. This is an operational matter for the local National Health Service.

General Practitioners: Training

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held in the last year with Health Education England about ensuring that all GPs gain experience in children and young people’s health during their initial training, as suggested by CLIC Sargent’s report The best chance from the start: improving support to identify cancer in children and young people.

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with Monitor and with NHS England about ensuring that GPs are able to access specialist expertise in children and young people’s health, and what mechanisms they have to audit provision of specialist services and hold commissioners to account.

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with NHS England on the findings of CLIC Sargent’s recent research report The best chance from the start: improving support to identify cancer in children and young people, including the finding that 53 per cent of young cancer patients asked felt their diagnosis was delayed.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Health Education England’s (HEE) mandate sets out the Government’s strategic priorities for workforce planning, education, training and development in the health and public health system. These objectives and priorities are published on an annual basis. Officials are currently discussing the next HEE mandate. Within their three year training programme, about half of all General Practitioner (GP) trainees undertake a dedicated hospital placement in paediatrics. In addition, there are various initiatives around the country to increase access to child health training. These include clinics jointly staffed with paediatric and GP trainees, paediatric outreach clinics and multi-disciplinary meetings in GP surgeries led by paediatric consultants. A variety of e-learning, including the MindEd package – a free educational resource on children and young people’s mental health, is available. It is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC) to set the standards and outcomes for the education and training of doctors and to approve training curricula to ensure newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high quality patient care. HEE will work with bodies that set curricula such as the GMC and the Royal College of General Practitioners to seek to ensure general practice training meets the needs of patients. The independent Cancer Taskforce published its report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes in July last year, which recognised the importance of earlier diagnosis for patients of all ages and contains specific recommendations for children, teenagers and young adults. NHS England has appointed Cally Palmer as NHS National Cancer Director to lead the implementation of a five year Strategy based on the recommendations in the report. Whilst the Taskforce was independent, the Department of Health and all of its Arm’s Length Bodies were represented on it and contributed to development of the Strategy. NHS England is now developing its work programme to take forward the recommendations in the Strategy. There have been no discussions with Monitor as this falls outside their remit.

Care Quality Commission

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the quality and experience of inspectors of the decision by the Care Quality Commission to outsource services to Remploy.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Experts by Experience provide an important role in the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspections programme, working alongside the CQC’s professional inspectors. Experts by Experience provide valuable insights and judgements, talking to people who use the service and observing the environment and the quality of care hospitals and care homes provide. In December 2015, the CQC announced the successful winners of the new contracts to provide Experts by Experience, Choice Support and Remploy Ltd. The Experts by Experience service has been an outsourced service since its inception. The CQC’s professional inspectors are not outsourced and are unaffected by these contracts. The delivery of these services from 1 February 2016 by Remploy is as a result of a compliant procurement of these services. The procurement process included a rigorous evaluation of each of the tendering organisations response to delivering the service requirements against quality standards for service delivery. The CQC’s decision to award these new contracts focussed on expanding the numbers of Experts by Experience involved in the CQC’s inspections, ensuring that the high quality contribution Experts by Experience have provided to date is maintained and delivering value for money. The CQC is the independent regulator for health and adult social care in England. It is responsible for its own staffing requirements, including any decisions on contracts around the supplying of Experts by Experience for its inspections of providers. In line with Cabinet Office approvals processes, the Department: - gave approval for the CQC to invite tenders for the Experts by Experience programme; and- reviewed and approved the CQC’s business case, to enable the CQC to proceed with finalising new contracts for Experts by Experience.

Health Services: Learning Disability

Lord Condon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by Sir Stephen Bubb The Challenge Ahead and his proposal for a Commissioner to protect and promote the rights of people with learning difficulties.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Government welcomes Sir Stephen Bubb’s report Time for Change – the Challenge Ahead which focuses on improving the experience of care and outcomes for people with learning disabilities. Sir Stephen’s report acknowledges the real progress that has been made in the last year. The Department will consider the recommendations in Time for Change – the Challenge Ahead in our development of a Learning Disability Action Plan. However, new statutory roles and legislation are not necessarily the answer to achieving the changes envisaged by the Steering Group. We believe that we can make more rapid and meaningful progress by ensuring that the rights that exist under current laws and statutes are properly understood, implemented and exercised by those with learning disabilities and/or autism.

NHS: Management Consultants

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 22 February (HL5978), how many, and which, management consultancies engaged in failed initiatives from the previous rounds of consultancy-driven recovery initiatives will be excluded from NHS Improvement’s current round.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS Improvement undertakes its procurements in compliance with procurement rules and good practice. As such, no consultancies are automatically excluded from any consultancy driven recovery initiatives. However as part of this, NHS Improvement takes into account past performance of suppliers to the fullest extent permissible in its procurements.

Hospitals: Opening Hours

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the cost to the NHS of opening hospitals seven days a week.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Spending Review provided the National Health Service in England with £10 billion in real terms additional funding by 2020-21. This fully funds the NHS’s Five Year Forward View, including delivering urgent and emergency hospital services which are of the same high quality at the weekend as during the week.

Health Professions: Employment Agencies

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of agency doctors and nurses on duty in hospitals (1) during the week, and (2) at the weekend.

Lord Prior of Brampton: This information is not collected centrally.

Cancer: Drugs

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect a reimbursement decision on each of the drugs launched since June 2015 that were affected by the pause in listing new drugs on the Cancer Drugs Fund list.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Since June 2015, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published final technology appraisal guidance on the cancer drugs/indications listed in the following table. Topic titleFinal guidance publicationMelanoma (unresectable, metastatic) - pembrolizumab (after ipilimumab) [TA357]October 2015Melanoma (unresectable, metastatic, ipilimumab naive) - pembrolizumab [TA366]November 2015Multiple myeloma – panobinostat (post 1 prior therapy) [TA380]January 2016Melanoma (advanced, unresectable, metastatic) - nivolumab [TA384]February 2016 NHS England has advised that it envisages, under the new arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF), that a greater number of cancer drugs will be funded from baseline commissioning. Under the new process, any drugs that receive either a draft recommendation for routine commissioning or, where uncertainty exists, a recommendation for use within the CDF, will receive interim funding from the CDF from the point of marketing authorisation. NICE has advised that it is unable to provide a forecast as to when this will occur for technology appraisals published during the first year of the new CDF as this will depend on a number of factors including the value proposition put forward by manufacturers.